Texas Football Program: Not Up To Par

It's been a tough rebuilding
period at the University of Texas.

The University of Texas has the reputation of being one of the nation's top collegiate athletic programs with many top recruited athletes.  In 2002, Sports Illustrated named Texas number one among "America's Best Sports Colleges", but this is not the same program we have come to know in the past decade.  (Texas Football averaged eleven victories per season and won the 2006 BCS National Championship, two Big 12 conference championships in 2005 and 2009, and three of their four BCS bowl appearances from 2001 to 2009.)  The football program is experiencing one of their worst periods in its storied history and has a 21-16 record since the 2010 BCS National Championship loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.  That game was the end of a memorable decade of Texas Longhorn football and the beginning of an unexpected rebuilding period.

The Texas Longhorns always have high expectations entering a season because they have been a successful team in the past and are second among NCAA football programs in victories.  Beginning with the 2010 season, Texas entered an unexpected rebuilding period.  Five-star recruit Garrett Gilbert was expected to be the next great Longhorn quarterback, following in the footsteps of Vince Young and Colt McCoy.  He was recognized as the top prospect in the 2009 senior class and had an impressive performance as a true freshman against #1 Alabama in the 2010 BCS National Championship, replacing the injured McCoy.  Unfortunately, he did not pan out and the team suffered its worst season in fourteen years, finishing with a 5-7 record with no bowl eligibility.

The Texas Longhorns needed a starting quarterback when the 2011 season began.  Three quarterbacks were fighting for the starting job, including Sophomore Case McCoy, Freshman David Ash and the 2010 starter Garrett Gilbert.  Each player started a game during the season, but none of the candidates established themselves as leaders for the team.  The team struggled on the gridiron throughout the season and finished the inconsistent 8-5 season with a victory over Cal in the Holiday Bowl.

David Ash's impressive performance in the bowl game separated himself from McCoy and Gilbert in the quarterback battle and was expected to be named the starter in 2012.  The team began the season like 2011 with four consecutive victories, but struggled against conference foes and ranked opponents.  They were inconsistent throughout the season and tonight's 42-24 road loss to #6 Kansas State is a good example.  McCoy started the game in place of the injured Ash and had an impressive first half performance.  He overcame an early interception and finished the half completing 17 of 18 with a touchdown.  His Horns outscored the Wildcats by ten in the second quarter and led 10-7 at halftime, but they could not finish the job.  The teams traded touchdowns and the Longhorns led 17-14 with 7:24 remaining in the third quarter, but Kansas State's twenty-eight unanswered points in the second half trumped Texas.  The Wildcats won their fifth consecutive game against the Longhorns and won their first Big 12 Championship since 2003.  The Longhorns, on the other hand, finished third in the conference after losing their final two regular season games against TCU and Kansas State.

The Longhorns' bowl game will be announced Sunday night, but their main attention and concern should be on their future and resolving their many unnecessary issues, including a quarterback dilemma, coaching uncertainties and an unproductive defense.  This pathetic play cannot continue for the great football program at the University of Texas.

2012-2013 BCS Bowl Projections/Scenarios

BCS National Championship Game

                1. #1 Notre Dame

                2. SEC Champion (#2 Alabama/#3 Georgia)

Rose Bowl

                1. Big Ten Champion (#12 Nebraska/Wisconsin)

                2. Pac-12 Champion (#8 Stanford/#16 UCLA)

Fiesta Bowl

                1. Big 12 Champion (#6 Kansas State/#11 Oklahoma)      

                2. BCS at-large

Orange Bowl

                1. ACC Champion (#13 Florida State/North Carolina)

                2. BCS at-large

Sugar Bowl

                1. BCS at-large

                2. BCS at-large

BCS AQ bids:

ACC Champion (#13 Florida State/North Carolina)

Big 12 Champion (#6 Kansas State/#11 Oklahoma)

Big East Champion (Rutgers/Louisville)

Big Ten Champion (#12 Nebraska/Wisconsin)

Pac-12 Champion (#8 Stanford/#16 UCLA)

SEC Champion (#2 Alabama/#3 Georgia)

Scenarios for BCS at-large bids:

#4 Florida: Needs to finish ahead of SEC Championship Game loser in final BCS Rankings

#5 Oregon: Needs Stanford victory in Pac-12 Championship Game

#11 Oklahoma: Beat TCU and/or Kansas State loss

#14 Clemson: Needs to finish 14th in final BCS Rankings and a Florida State victory in ACC Championship Game

#15 Oregon State: Needs to finish 14th in final BCS Rankings and Week 14 victory

Mid-American Champion (#17 Kent State/#21 Northern Illinois): Needs to finish 16th and ahead of Big East Champion in final BCS Rankings

Key Week 14 Games (All Times Central):

Louisville at Rutgers (Thursday 6:30pm)

Mid-American Championship Game (Friday 6pm)

Pac-12 Championship Game (Friday 7pm)

Oklahoma at TCU (Saturday 11am)

Nicholls State at Oregon State (Saturday 1:30pm)

SEC Championship Game (Saturday 3pm)

Texas at Kansas State (Saturday 7pm)

ACC Championship Game (Saturday 7pm)

Big Ten Championship Game (Saturday 7:17pm)

Longhorns Throw Away BCS, Big 12 Title Aspirations

The Texas Longhorns are pathetic this season and are once again underperforming.  The 8-3 Longhorns discontinued their annual Thanksgiving rivalry with Texas A&M when the Aggies left the Big 12 for the SEC this summer and replaced the Lone Star Showdown with an in-state matchup with TCU.  Texas entered the game with four consecutive victories after two tough weeks in October against West Virginia and Oklahoma.  Things were flying high in Austin and the team's winning ways put the team in position to receive a BCS berth or win the Big 12 Championship.  That was before everything was thrown out the window with Thursday's devastating loss to the Horned Frogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.  The Longhorns were shutdown by the nationally-ranked TCU defense and upset 20-13 in the first Big 12 matchup between the former Southwest Conference foes.  The Longhorns were tied down by four turnovers, including three by Quarterback David Ash in the first half (a fumble and two interceptions).  The team faces a tough task in Manhattan in the regular season finale against Kansas State and, like the Dallas Cowboys, the culture around Texas Longhorn football needs to change.

Big 12             Conf. Record Overall Record  Yesterday's result, Remaining Schedule
*Kansas State        7-1                10-1            Bye Week, vs Texas

*Oklahoma            7-1                 9-2             vs OSU (W), at TCU

Eliminated:

*Texas                   5-3                 8-3             vs TCU (L), at KSU

*Oklahoma State   5-3                 7-4              at OU (L), at BU

*TCU                    4-4                 7-4              at UT (W), vs OU

*Texas Tech          4-5                 7-5              vs BU (L), Bye Week

*West Virginia       3-5                 6-5              at ISU (W), vs KU

*Baylor                  3-5                 6-5             vs TTU (W), vs OSU

*Iowa State           3-6                  6-6             vs WVU (L), Bye Week

Kansas                  0-8                  1-10           Bye Week, at WVU

*-Bowl Eligible

Championship Scenarios:
Kansas State
1. Beat Texas

Oklahoma
1. Beat TCU

2. Kansas State loses to Texas

The New Football Thanksgiving in Texas

Texans expect to watch the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies every Thanksgiving. Unfortunately one of these traditions will not be played this year or in the near future...the Lone Star Showdown.  Texas A&M's move from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference ended the third longest rivalry in the FBS and one of the greatest American sports rivalries.

What does this rivalry mean to Texans?

There's nothing more important to Texans than football and food and when they're put together on Thanksgiving, it's their favorite day of the year.  Texans eat their Thanksgiving meal throughout the day, enjoying some Dallas Cowboy football and the Lone Star Showdown.  The state's inhabitants are born and bred to be Longhorns and Aggies and this football game is on the minds of Texans every Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, this rivalry has been suspended for the near future and Texans, Longhorns and Aggies are adjusting to the change. This Thanksgiving will not feature the annual Texas-Texas A&M rivalry but both schools are in action.  The Longhorns renew a Southwest Conference rivalry with TCU on Thanksgiving and the Aggies continue their acquaintance with Missouri on Saturday.  The schools will not meet on the gridiron until 2019 (at the earliest), but no other traditions were changed at the two schools.  Both schools reference the other in their fight song but there was no change to the lyrics.  The University of Texas continued its annual Hex Rally to "hex" its Thanksgiving Day opponent and Texas A&M continued its weekly Midnight Yell Practice prior to each game of the season.

This in-state rivalry is very important to the State of Texas and a part of the state's history with 118 football duels, 222 men's basketball meetings and 365 baseball games between the schools.  It's also one of the best rivalries in college athletics and hopefully will be restored soon.

Big 12 Football Exciting During Week 12

Week 12 featured some exciting Big 12 contests on Saturday, including Baylor's upset of #1 Kansas State and a high-scoring contest between Oklahoma and West Virginia.  The teams and their fans were scoreboard watching because the Big 12 Championship was still up for grabs, along with an undefeated season and berths in the BCS National Championship and other postseason bowls.  Baylor's upset of #1 Kansas State was Saturday's headliner because the unranked Bears manhandled the Wildcats 52-24 in Waco.  Kansas State's national title aspirations were squashed with the loss and their control dissolved within the conference.

In other action, the Sooners and Mountaineers were involved in a crazy shootout in Morgantown.  It was their first meeting since the 2008 Fiesta Bowl and yesterday's match up came down to the wire.  Oklahoma led 31-17 at halftime, but Quarterback Geno Smith and Wide Receiver Tavon Austin led West Virginia's charge in the second half, scoring on 5 of 7 possessions.  The teams combined for 99 points and 1440 yards, but Oklahoma prevailed 50-49 with a touchdown from Landry Jones to Kenny Stills in the final minute.

Other Big 12 Notes: Seven Big 12 teams are currently bowl eligible with two weeks remaining in the regular season...Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were the victors this week in the Big 12...Texas and TCU were off this week but face each other this Thursday in Austin...Critical match ups the next two weeks will determine the Big 12 Champion with Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas still in contention.

Still in Race      Record   Yesterday's result, Remaining Schedule
Kansas State      7-1        at BU(L), vs Texas

Oklahoma          6-1        at WVU(W), vs OSU, at TCU

Texas                   5-2        Bye Week, vs TCU, at KSU

Eliminated:
Oklahoma State 5-2       vs TTU (W), at OU, at BU

Texas Tech           4-4       at OSU (L), vs BU (Arlington)

TCU                      3-4        Bye Week, at UT, vs OU

Iowa State           3-5        at KU (W), vs WVU

West Virginia      2-5        vs OU (L), at ISU, vs KU

Baylor                  2-5        vs KSU (W), vs TTU (Arlington), vs OSU

Kansas                 0-8        vs ISU (L), at WVU

Championship Scenarios:
Kansas State

1. Beat Texas

Oklahoma
1. Beat Oklahoma State and TCU

2. Kansas State loses to Texas

Texas

1. Beat Kansas State

2. Oklahoma loses final 2 games against Oklahoma State and TCU

BCS Shaken Up After Upsets of #1 and #2

College Football always finds a way to amaze me!  Upsets and record-breaking performances were on tap for Week 12, especially in the Big 12 and Pac-12 today.  The day began with Los Angeles' exciting in-city rivalry between #17 UCLA and #18 USC.  The Bruins entered the game ranked ahead of the Trojans for the first time since 2001 and they stormed to an early 24-0 lead.  UCLA looked great midway through the second quarter, but last season's 50-0 loss to USC remained on the players' minds.  USC's Matt Barkley threw two touchdown passes before halftime and led his Trojans to within four early in the third.  USC was surging, but Barkley left the game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury.  The UCLA defense ultimately decided the game, as 14 points were scored off three Trojan turnovers in the game.  The 38-28 victory was significant for the Bruins because they knocked off the Trojans for the first time since 2006 and clinched their second consecutive Pac-12 South title.

Many expected the #2 Oregon Ducks to win their fourth consecutive Pac-12 Conference Championship because opponents had struggled with their high-powered offense all season.  That was before they faced #13 Stanford, who upset them in overtime tonight.  Marcus Mariota and the Duck offense were held forty points under their season average and were scoreless in their final five possessions, including a missed field goal in overtime.  The nagging Cardinal prevailed in the waning moments of regulation and overtime.  Stanford overcame a 14-7 fourth quarter deficit and knocked off #2 Oregon with a 37 yard field goal by Jordan Williamson in overtime.

The Big 12 Conference entered the day with the nation's best team and a tight race for the conference championship.  #1 Kansas State had a lot on the line entering this Saturday, including its first Big 12 Championship, an appearance in the BCS National Championship and a perfect season, but Heisman hopeful Collin Klein and the Wildcats struggled against Baylor's high-powered offense.  The Bears stormed to an impressive 28-7 lead in the second quarter and never looked back.  Baylor became the first sub-.500 team to beat a BCS #1 team with its 52-24 victory over Kansas State at Floyd Casey Stadium tonight.

The #12 Oklahoma Sooners also faced a tough road test in Morgantown with their season goals on the line.  Oklahoma would not play for the National Championship this season, but a BCS berth and Big 12 Championship remained in sight.  The Sooners took the early lead and were up 31-17 at halftime.  The second half began with the Mountaineers down, but not out.  Quarterback Geno Smith and Wide Receiver Tavon Austin led West Virginia's charge in the second half, scoring on 5/7 possessions.  Smith and Austin combined for 664 yards and 6 touchdowns in the game, but the Mountaineer defense couldn't hold.  Senior Quarterback Landry Jones led the Sooners on a game-winning drive, converting a pivotal 4th and 3 with a touchdown pass to Kenny Stills.  The Sooners prevailed 50-49 and the Mountaineers lost their fifth consecutive game.

The BCS is now in shambles after today's results and conference championships are tightening with two weeks remaining in the regular season.  #3 Notre Dame and #4 Alabama are expected to become the nation's top two teams when the next BCS poll is released Sunday evening, but as we saw today, "Every Week Matters!"

Kansas State Can Not Cruise to Big 12 Crown

The Big 12 Conference is stronger than ever and there's no surprise that the conference championship is coming down to the final weeks of the season. There is no easy week in the conference anymore and the competition level has improved with the additions of TCU and West Virginia. The conference currently holds five spots in this week's BCS rankings, and three of these teams remain in contention for the conference title (#1 Kansas State, #12 Oklahoma and #15 Texas).

Of course, Kansas State controls its own destiny with two games remaining on their conference schedule, but an upset or two may be on the horizon for them. The Wildcats avoided a potential upset in Fort Worth on Saturday and eliminated the Horned Frogs and Cowboys from contention, but they cannot overlook their final two opponents. Texas looks to be finding its stride with four straight victories and Baylor has an explosive offense. A lot is on the line for the Wildcats with two games remaining in their season. The Wildcats are chasing their first National Championship in program history and first Big 12 championship since 2003, but they cannot cruise to the crown with the Longhorns and Sooners in contention.

Still in Race   Record Yesterday's result, Remaining Schedule
Kansas State    7-0    at TCU (W), at BU, vs Texas

Oklahoma        5-1   vs BU (W), at WVU, vs OSU, at TCU

Texas                 5-2   vs ISU (W), vs TCU, at KSU

Eliminated:
Oklahoma State 4-2 vs WVU (W), vs TTU, at OU, at BU

Texas Tech        4-3  vs KU (W), at OSU, vs BU (Arlington)

TCU                    3-4 vs KSU (L), at UT, vs OU

West Virginia    2-4 at OSU (L), vs OU, at ISU, vs KU

Iowa State         2-5 at UT (L), at KU, vs WVU

Baylor                1-5 at OU (L), vs KSU, vs TTU (Arlington), vs OSU

Kansas                0-7 at TTU (L), vs ISU, at WVU

Championship Scenarios:
Kansas State

1. Beat Baylor and Texas

Oklahoma
1. Beat West Virginia, Oklahoma State and TCU

2. Kansas State loses to Baylor and Texas

Texas

1. Beat TCU and Kansas State

2. Kansas State loses final two games against Baylor and Texas

3. Oklahoma loses 2 of final 3 games  against West Virginia, Oklahoma State and TCU